Back in May, the annual EU-CONEXUS Festival gathered over 70 students from all partner universities. A true highlight of this year’s programme was a tour around the city of Limassol – with a creative twist.

Entitled “Scent of the City”, this activity invited the students to experience – and reimagine – the host city through their senses. By splitting into three groups, with each one assigned to a different route, the participants toured Limassol’s most famous landmarks: the old port, churches, museums, theatres, city squares, and so on. During the activity, each group recorded the moments, sights and other highlights that appealed to their senses, focusing not only on views but also on the sounds and smells of the city.

All the footage and recordings gathered during the event will be compiled into a multimedia art piece and exhibited on the website of the festival. With that said, the creative twist on a typical formal of a city tour inspired much more than an artwork – it was an important reminder of how we, as humans, experience our surroundings.

To its participants, Scent of the City was an invitation to experience a new environment in togetherness. Tied into this year’s focus on exploring and refining the identity of a modern student, it was a unique opportunity to observe how perception and curiosity transcends cultural boundaries, creating a sense of deeper connection and community.